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THE DIVISION OF MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE
PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
The primary purposes of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine are:
1. to improve the health care of mother and fetus by elevating the standard of education in obstetrics.
2. to evaluate educational programs offering training in maternal-fetal medicine.
3. to define and to publish the details of the education which the division considers essential in order to attain eligibility for examination.
4. to establish procedures for evaluating the knowledge and skills of a candidate for certification as a subspecialist in maternal-fetal medicine.
5. to recommend to the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology for subspecialty certification physicians who have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the division their possession of special knowledge and qualifications in maternal-fetal medicine.
THE DEFINITION OF A SUBSPECIALIST IN MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE
A maternal-fetal medicine subspecialist is a subspecialist in obstetrics and gynecology who, by virtue of additional education, cares for and/or provides consultation on women with complications of pregnancy.
This activity requires advanced knowledge of the obstetrical, medical and surgical complications of pregnancy and their effect on both the mother and the fetus.
It also requires expertise in the most current approaches to diagnosis and treatment of women with complicated pregnancies and practice in a setting in which such modalities are available.
Advanced knowledge of newborn adaptation also is necessary to ensure a continuum of excellence in care from the fetal to newborn periods.
PROGRAM OF GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION IN MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE
An institutional application for approval of a graduate education program in maternal-fetal medicine must be made by the proposed program director, who is certified in maternal-fetal medicine.
The program shall be a minimum of 36 months in duration approved for a specific number of fellows and must consist of specified education and training, as outlined in the "General and Special Requirements for Graduate Medical Education".
The application must be made on a form obtained from the Board office and must be submitted at least one year in advance of the start of a new program.
Education may be obtained in one or more institutions, but at all times there must be evidence of an adequate patient population and proper supervision by a subspecialist in maternal-fetal medicine to ensure the candidate a satisfactory clinical experience.
The program must include two university graduate-level courses, one in quantitative techniques which should include biostatistics and other areas such as epidemiology and research design and implementation. The second course must be relevant to the specific subspecialty.
Both courses must be approved by the division. All courses must have an examination which the fellow must pass. Attendance at continuing education courses or short single-topic courses sponsored by various organizations is not sufficient to meet the requirement of university graduate-level courses.
An approvable graduate education program shall be designed to provide the candidate with the knowledge and skills outlined in the "Guide to Learning in Maternal-Fetal Medicine" and must conform to the current "General and Special Requirements for Graduate Medical Education". These documents are available from the Board office.
FELLOWS
Program directors are responsible for ensuring the completion of personal applications for registration by each fellow.
A candidate entering an approved graduate education program in maternal-fetal medicine must make personal application to the Board ninety (90) days prior to starting their fellowship.
Candidates will not be accepted for their written examination unless they have been registered with the Board, have satisfactorily completed 32 of a 36-month training program and can supply DOCUMENTATION OF SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF THE TWO REQUIRED GRADUATE COURSES.
Adequate documentation must include either an official transcript or a letter signed by the course instructor (not the program director).
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EXAMINATIONS LEADING TO CERTIFICATION IN MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE
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